Field
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a touch sensor device including a polymer layer and a manufacturing method thereof.
Discussion of the Background
Electronic devices such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, and an electrophoretic display may include a touch sensing function through which a user may interact with the electronic devices. The touch sensing function may be used to obtain touch information such as whether an object approaches or contacts a touch screen and a touch position, by sensing a change in pressure, charge, light, etc., that is applied onto a screen of a display device, when a user writes text or draws a figure by approaching or touching the screen using a finger or a touch pen. Touch sensing functions may be implemented by a touch sensor.
The touch sensor may be classified into various types, such as a resistive type, a capacitive type, an electromagnetic (EM) type, an optical type, etc. In the resistive type touch sensor, two electrodes separated and facing each other may contact each other by a pressure applied from an external object. When the two electrodes contact each other, the touch position may be determined by detecting a voltage change due to a change in resistance at the touch position.
The capacitive type touch sensor may include a sensing capacitor including sensing electrodes for transmitting a detection signal, and determine a touch and a touch position by detecting a change in capacitance of the sensing capacitor or amount of charges when a conductor such as a finger approaches the touch sensor. The capacitance type touch sensor may include touch electrodes for sensing the touch, which are located in a touch sensing area to sense a touch, and signal-transmitting wires connected to the touch electrodes. The signal-transmitting wires may transmit a sensing input signal to the touch electrodes, or may transmit a sensing output signal of the touch electrodes generated by the touch to a sensing signal controller. The signal-transmitting wires may be located in a peripheral area around a touch sensing area of a touch sensing panel or in the touch sensing area.
When a glass substrate is used in electronic devices, such as display devices and the like, portability and size of a display screen may be limited due to weight and the fragile property of the glass substrate. Accordingly, a flexible display device using a plastic substrate, which may be light, resistant to impacts, and flexible has been studied. In the flexible display device, the touch sensor attached to or integrated into the device may need to be flexible.
Flexible touch sensors may include a transformable part that is foldable, bendable, rollable, stretchable in at least one direction, or elastic. The flexible touch sensor includes touch electrodes, and the touch electrodes may have flexibility to prevent generation of defects after being transformed. As a material for the flexible touch electrodes, a metal nanowire such as a silver nanowire (AgNW), carbon nanotubes, graphene, a metal mesh, and a conductive polymer has been studied.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the inventive concept, and, therefore, it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.